With 2025’s arrival, there is lots of speculation about the return of the Trump Administration and how that is going to impact our federal employees. We at Bonney, Allenberg, O’Reilly, & Eddy are gearing up for what we expect to be a busy year as we see what changes are ahead.
Reduction in Federal Workforce Size
During Trump’s first term, the administration’s efforts were geared at the reduction of the federal workforce, which we expect to resurface in 2025. Through executive orders and budgetary proposal, President Trump sought to downsize government agencies in an attempt to create a more efficient, smaller government. As we have begun to see since President Trump’s re-election, it appears he will refocus on these efforts and similar policies may be pursued, potentially leading to further cuts in the federal workforce.
Policy Chances around Union Influence and Labor Protections
Throughout his first term, President Trump adopted policies that were hostile to unions, particularly those representing federal workers. President Trump issued executive orders aimed at limiting union influence in the federal government and the administration worked to eliminate the protections offered by collective bargaining agreements.
We anticipate that in his second term, President Trump will attempt to further limit the influence and power of federal employment unions by pushing for reduction of job protections and the benefits traditionally afforded to federal employees.
Potential for Increased Politically Biased Leaders
As the new administration takes charge, we expect that there will once again be a push to appoint more political allies into leadership roles within federal agencies, potentially reducing the influence of career civil servants in decision-making processes. This reorganization of leadership in the federal agencies could lead to a broad impact of aligning with the Trump administration’s agenda.
Overall, we can be sure the new year will be bringing changes and new challenges to our federal employees. If you find yourself in a position of needing assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team of attorneys.